ADPH says emerging COVID-19 variant not looking as serious a threat

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Through March the Tennessee Valley has seen a resurgence in many gatherings that were lost in March 2020. As of the last weekend of the month, most events are taking place with laxed pandemic measures in place.

Meanwhile, another COVID-19 variant sweeps through the country, but local experts aren’t as worried.

Alabama Department of Public Health’s Dr. Wes Stubblefield, based in Morgan County, says data shows the BA.2 variant doesn’t offer as big a threat.

“What we’ve seen is the variant is potentially no more serious or severe. It may be more transmissible or easy to catch, and it may be that if you had Omicron you may be protected,” Stubblefield said. “But it still remains to be seen whether or not the vaccine or a more distant infection will still be good against the BA.2.”

At the same time, health officials are keeping tabs on a potential additional booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks, with pending approval the first week of April.

“We don’t know what will happen if they do recommend another booster because of some changes that may happen in the legislature,” Stubblefield said. “We’d like people to know there is a process. They have to go through evaluation from the FDA and then through the CDC as well.”

Even if another booster is necessary, north Alabama’s senior public health official says the outlook of enjoying a more normal 2022 is good for now.

“And that’s why at the ADPH…we’re following those data very closely, to make sure we know when things are coming we can prepare ourselves for a potential spike in terms of testing, treatments, hospital surge capacity, things like that.”

However, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did announce a change to Community Levels from the previous Community Transmission about which and when individuals should consider masking.